August 2026 Newsletter
When Will You Open?
On Tuesday, August 25, we received an inquiry about a teenage boy who had recently been recovered from sex trafficking and needed a safe place to heal.
A teenage boy.
If you’ve been following our journey, you’ve heard us say this before, but it bears repeating:
Boys are sex trafficked too.
They are one of the most overlooked populations within child sex trafficking. Boys often go unidentified and unrecovered because of fear of coming forward, shame, stigma surrounding male victimization, and a lack of awareness that this happens to boys at all.
And yet, some studies have found that boys may represent up to 45% of children experiencing commercial sexual exploitation.
But perhaps even more shocking is what happens when a boy is identified.
Based on our ongoing research, we have not identified a dedicated, long-term residential healing program currently open and operating specifically for minor male survivors of sex trafficking in the United States.
We didn’t receive many details about this particular case. We didn’t need them to understand the urgency.
Placement options are scarce enough that we were simply asked:
“When will you open?”
Ugh. That was a gut punch.
We’ve said before that what we are building is worth building well. Cedar Refuge is being designed for excellence, long-term sustainability, and the kind of comprehensive care children recovering from severe trauma deserve. That takes planning. It takes licensing. It takes funding. It takes the right property, the right team, and the right systems.
We don’t want to rush that process.
But this week was a painful reminder that while we are building, children need somewhere safe now.
We feel that tension deeply.
So we continue to trust God and His perfect timing while doing everything we can to move this mission forward.
Right now, we are actively building our Case for Support, the comprehensive plan that will lay out exactly what it will take to secure property, build and launch Cedar Refuge, establish a sustainable foundation, and welcome the first children into care.
In October, we plan to begin taking that case to potential major donors and asking people to help us bring this refuge to life.
There is still a lot of work ahead.
But opening Cedar Refuge no longer feels like some far-off dream.
It feels like the work directly in front of us.
And after Tuesday’s message, we are more aware than ever of who is waiting on the other side of it.
Do You Know Someone?
October is just around the corner and our Case for Support is almost done! Yippee!!
Do you know someone we should share the Cedar Refuge vision with? Maybe someone who has a heart for children, a passion for fighting trafficking, or the ability to make a significant investment in bringing this refuge to life.
We are beginning to build a list of people, families, businesses, foundations, and churches we would love the opportunity to meet with.
If someone comes to mind, we would love an introduction! Contact us.
Fast Updates
Licensing Update: We completed the STRTP licensing orientation and are now making a few final calls before deciding which licensing route Cedar Refuge will launch under.
We are beginning to build relationships with county officials, share the Cedar Refuge vision, and gather local support for the mission.
An acquaintance of ours, David DeForrest, is currently running a petition urging Congress to strengthen federal legislation and sentencing related to the exploitation of youth. Sign here
Steven has recovered from his hernia surgery and is doing well!
Our Case for Support is looking GOOD, and we can’t wait to show it off!
Prayer Requests
Pray that God would be first and that we would let Him lead every decision.
We are asking God for a Forever Funder, someone(s) who will fund this mission for generations to come.
We know which licenses we are pursuing, but we need clarity and direction on which one to launch the program with.
Pray for favor with our county, state and future neighbors, and that Cedar Refuge would be welcomed with open arms.
Pray for wisdom and favor as we complete our Case for Support.
Pray that God would prepare the hearts of potential donors and open doors for us to present our Case for Support at the right time.
The Gipe family needs to move, and we are praying for the perfect rental to accommodate this season of lots of hosting and meetings.
Getting Closer
Thank you for continuing to pray, give, share, and believe with us. Every month, Cedar Refuge moves one step closer to opening its doors, and we are so grateful to have you walking alongside us.
There is still a lot ahead, but we can feel the momentum building.
We truly believe God is preparing the right people, the right resources, and the right timing for what’s next. And we trust that He cares about these kids even more than we ever could.
One step at a time, we’re building a place of refuge.
With gratitude,
Steven and Brandyn Gipe
Founders & Executive Directors